I love the flavor of mint juleps – that muddled, chilled mix of fresh mint, bourbon and sugar – but I tend not to want the alcohol when I’m looking for a light refreshment during the day.

Living in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S., I’m also lucky to have lots of fresh mint on-hand throughout the warm months, which is still novel for me since I lead an entirely mint-free childhood in New York state (either because the climate is just that little bit cooler up there or because of environmental changes overtime).

Adding the bourbon was really the only new thing to account for related to my previous post on herbal syrups. Once I steeped the mint in water, I then added a bit of bourbon and simmered it all to de-alcoholize it (probably an optional step for many…). After that, I then dissolved the sugar into the infusion over heat to add the structure and sweetness to the syrup.